A family of five Spanish tourists, including three children, and a pilot died on Thursday in a helicopter crash in New York’s Hudson River.
The German industrial group Siemens has now confirmed to AFP on Friday that one of its executives, Agustin Escobar, and his family were the victims. Escobar was a former head of Siemens Spain and oversaw railway infrastructure at Siemens Mobility.
"We are deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter accident in which Agustin Escobar and his family lost their lives. We extend our sincere condolences to all their loved ones," the company stated in a press release.
"All six victims have been recovered from the water. Unfortunately, they have all passed away," said New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday evening at a press briefing by the river, where debris from the helicopter was still visible.
"The images of the accident are horrific," wrote Donald Trump, a native of New York, on his social network Truth Social, asking God to bless the victims.
First responders are seen near the landing skids of a helicopter after it crashed into the Hudson River, in the Newport neighborhood of Jersey City, New Jersey, on April 10, 2025. Credit: Belga / AFP
The American President has promised swift announcements regarding the causes of the accident and assured that his Transport Secretary, Sean Duffy, and his talented team are on the case, two months after a collision between a commercial plane and a military helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington, which resulted in 67 deaths.
A few days after that aviation disaster, the worst in the US since 2001, a small medical aircraft crashed in Philadelphia, killing seven people.
According to the Mayor and the New York police, the helicopter was operated by a company offering scenic flights over New York, with views of skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty. This popular tourist activity has been criticised for its noise and pollution.
